The Jaune Archive: To Survive and Prosper (OUTDATED)

by The Rade Blunner

The original version of the first installment of the Jaune Archive prior to being reworked. Please read Jaune: Hero of Beacon for the newer and updated version. The original summary can be found in Chapter 1 in this version.

15. A Broken Beacon

Editorial Note:

After the Fall of Beacon, the academy became an exclusion zone with a high-level Grimm infestation level. The students in the academy were forced to carry on their education in different academies and the Kingdom of Vale remained in a State of Emergency for several months following the event.

The White Fang claimed responsibility for the event, thereby significantly increasing tensions between the organization, its sympathizers, and the Kingdoms, especially Vale and Atlas.

The extracts that are about to be displayed are accounts during and after the Fall from Team RWBY and JNPR, which are to be followed by the next and final chapter of this volume of the Jaune Archive.

Red Rose Diaries: After The Battle of Beacon

Ozpin told us to gather as many people as possible and get them out of Beacon. He took Jaune and Pyrrha into the tower for something important. I didn't know what it was all about and the Professor didn't want to tell us anything about it. The only we know is that it's some sort of plan to stop the outbreak.

We evacuated everyone we could find in the academy. A lot of people were hurt and there were some that we weren't able to save. Ren and Nora even got too weak and tired from the fighting that they decided to take a break. They even gave me their scroll in case Jaune or Pyrrha called.

What hurt me the most was Blake and Yang. When we found them near the cafeteria, Blake was badly injured and Yang's right arm was cut off. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't help but feel terrible that I let this happen. My very own sister who I grew up with just lost an arm. All I could think about is what I could have done to stop this. I don't even know if Yang can ever be the same anymore.

And I would later find out that wasn't even the worst part of this day…

We looked at the Beacon Tower and saw that there was a Wyvern flying around it. Ren's scroll rang telling me that Pyrrha was calling, but the voice that came out was Jaune's. He is asking for help at the Beacon Tower, saying that Pyrrha has gone off to the top of the tower to fight Cinder, the one who was behind all of this destruction. He sounded very worried and he told us he was going to follow her.

I knew I had to do something. I didn't want to leave my teammates especially Yang, but I figured that not doing anything wouldn't be any better. Weiss came with me on the way to the tower. I knew that we needed to get there as quickly as possible so Weiss helped me run-up to the top of the tower with her glyphs.

When I got to the top of the tower, Cinder was about to kill Jaune with his own sword. After seeing that, I felt something inside me and there was a burning sensation in my eyes. Everything suddenly flashed to white while I yelled, and that was the last thing I remembered that night.

After that, I was knocked out for a long time. I don't know exactly how long I was out but it looks like I've been asleep for a whole couple of months, seeing that it's already winter by the time I woke up. I saw that I was in my room in Patch with Dad sitting beside me. It was great seeing Dad again but I don't know if I'll get better after everything that happened that night.

He told me that Uncle Qrow was the one that took me home. Yang was here too but she was still trying to recover from the night at Beacon. He also told me that Vale was alright but the school is still swarmed over by the Grimm. The Wyvern I saw on the tower was still there and is the one attracting the Grimm, but Dad said that I did a number of it. I don't know how or why; Dad said that it's not important and that we'll have to talk about it another time. Zwei was here and was okay, at least there's some good news.

I noticed that I didn't see Pyrrha on top of that tower that night. I found that Cinder killed her before I was able to get there. I still can't believe that she's dead. Even though we aren't that close, she was a good friend. I had fond memories hanging out with her, whether it was during training between Team RWBY and JNPR, girls-only sleepovers at my team's dorm, and all the fun activities we had. I am going to miss her very much.

I don't know where the rest of Team RWBY are, neither do I know about Ren, Nora or Jaune. Wherever he might be, I hope he's okay, but even then I can't imagine what he's going through right now that Pyrrha's dead. I wouldn't have known what to do if I wasn't there to save him in time.

I wished it didn't have to end like this.

Confessions In The Shadows: No more…

I am no stranger to misery but the night Beacon fell was one of the most terrible moments of my life. Beacon used to be a place I call home and I was able to meet friends I never knew I needed. All of it is gone now. The academy was lost to the Grimm, many people died with Pyrrha being one of them, and Yang, my partner who I have grown fond of all the time I spent here, might never be the same again.

The most terrible thing was The White Fang was involved and it's from my former cell no less. I knew Adam was not far off and I soon realized I was right. He confronted me at the cafeteria, wanting to make me pay for betraying him and the Fang as I always feared. I couldn't beat him, he was about as dangerous as I remembered. Yang came in and tried to save me, only to be caught by Adam's semblance which resulted in her losing her arm.

We were able to escape, our teammates were able to find us but both of us barely survived and we were left with scars that would continue to haunt us for the rest of our life.

It didn't take long for me to wake up and recover from my wounds but I didn't feel any better after seeing Yang suffer because of her arm. As much as I didn't want to leave my partner's side, it was too painful seeing her like this, especially knowing that it was my fault she lost her arm. Now every time I look at her, I will always be reminded of what Adam did to us. I couldn't take it anymore. I left a letter apologizing for everything and left. It was time for me for a new start… yet again.

There's only one place where I know I'll be safe, and even then, I'm not sure if I'll even find peace there and it might not be the best place to go after everything I did, but there's no other place I could go and I'll have to take my chances.

So here I am, running away from my problems once more. I don't know when this pattern is ever going to stop but it's the only thing I know right now.

Yang's Recollection (Audio Transcript):

"So it all has to come down to this, doesn't it?

I gotta be honest, I don't really want to talk about this especially since I just lost an arm, and unlike Ruby, I'm not really that much of a diary person, but this is the only way I know to get this off my chest. Since I can't write now because of… you know. I guess a video diary will have to do.

When the Fall of Beacon began, I was still being caged in my own dorm because of what I apparently did to Mercury when the Grimm broke out. I also saw that the White Fang came to attack the academy. I had to break out. So I tore off the thing in my leg like it was nothing, seeing that I wasn't that much of Atlas' problem anymore.

I went ahead to help the others fight the White Fang and the Grimm while I looked for my teammates. I found Ruby and Weiss at the courtyard along with Team JNPR. Weiss told me she went off to fight an Alpha and some members of the White Fang at the cafeteria. When I got there, I saw Adam stabbing her in the stomach, all I could do was just charge without thinking. And it all led to this (she raised her bandaged bicep, showing her missing arm.)

And then I woke up in a hospital at Vale. That was when I learned that we lost Beacon. Pyrrha died, Ruby was in a coma, and that Blake was gone. I haven't even heard of Professor Ozpin that day. There was nothing much I could do than lie on my bed. Eventually, Uncle Qrow decided to take us back home to Patch. I was transferred to stay at the same hospital where I was born for a couple of weeks while Ruby had to be treated back at home. It was a good call, there were just too many unpleasant reminders to stay in Beacon. It really just hurts me just by thinking about it.

Blake left a letter saying that she's sorry for all the harm she caused and that she didn't want to hurt us again. I don't know where Blake is and I don't know how to reach her at this rate. (Sobbing) I can't believe she would just run away after everything we went through and after all the promises we've made for each other. She was no different from my Mom. It's really frustrating, I expected better from her.

Now I'm laying down here, thinking about what I should do. All I could do right now is hope for the best for everyone… But I can't exactly say for sure if things are going to get better.

Sigh, I just don't know anymore. "

Ren's Entry Log:

The battle was overwhelming. We fought hard to save as many people as possible while battling Grimm and rouge Atlesian machines until Nora and I both grew weary, we even took risks to retrieve some important valuables from our team's dorm as we attempted to clear the area of the Grimm.

Although we were successful in saving most of the inhabitants in the academy, we were not able to thwart the outbreak despite everyone's best efforts. While pulling out from the academy, we received terrible news. Although her body was never found, the professors declared Pyrrha dead after she showed us remnants of her weapon. Jaune and Ruby were both found unconscious and the Headmaster was missing. Even some who survived are left with terrible fates, Yang for example is now missing an arm.

I haven't heard Nora cry this hard for a very long time. It was one of the moments I can never forget. Fortunately, I was there to comfort her but I'm not sure if it was enough to help her cope with this unfortunate event.

Now we are left without a home with a broken team and we could only pray for the best.

---

Chapter 15

A Broken Beacon

---

I woke up after being unconscious for an unspecified period of time, but at that point, I wish that I didn't. I lost the will to live after witnessing everything that led to this moment.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a white ceiling. I could barely move as I still felt the emotional and physical pain from that battle. There were bandages wrapped around my body, my shoulder for instance was covering the wound where I was shot at while my aura slowly rejuvenated my body. Scanning my surroundings, I found out that I was in a hospital room and Weiss was sitting on a chair beside my bed. I could hear how busy the place was even though I was behind closed doors because apparently I was important enough to have my own room while everyone else gets to be in a sharing ward.

"Jaune?" she said after noticing me move my head. "You're awake…"

I was feeling too despondent to even speak so my response was staring at her with half-lidded eyes. She took note of my lack of response and continued to speak. "I heard about what happened to Pyrrha." She looked away from me for a second. "I'm sorry."

I felt guilty knowing how much she protected me throughout this year, and yet I couldn't protect her. It didn't have to end that way. If anything I'm the one who should be dead on top of that tower, not her. She would have accomplished more to this world than I'll ever do. I don't deserve to lie down in this hospital bed, she should have let me die and be the one to be rescued.

That was when I remembered the last thing I heard before I fell unconscious. It made me worried enough that I gathered what strength I had to speak again. "Where's Ruby?"

"She's in another room, being treated with Blake and Yang. She doesn't seem to be that hurt but whatever happened to her, it appears that it would take a while for her to wake up."

Even though I found myself still worrying about her, I was relieved to an extent. Losing another friend was something I didn't need.

"As for the others, Ren and Nora are waiting for you here in the hospital," she continued.

This brings me to my next question. "What about Cinder Fall?"

She took a moment to give me a poignant stare at me before she spoke up her mind. "I… I don't know."

I huffed, shaking my head as I clench my fist and teeth in disappointment by the implication that she could still be out there somewhere after all the crimes she committed.

"What happened to Beacon?" I continued to ask more questions.

Weiss looked down and sighed. "We... We had to leave it, there were too many Grimm to handle. I wish we could have saved it, but there's nothing we could do anymore."

I didn't feel anything particular upon learning that. When I realized how severe the outbreak was, Beacon falling was one of the things I expected. That and I already felt too dejected over Pyrrha's death for that news to impact me. "How long was I out?"

"It's almost a day I think." [1] She turned to the room's window which had its blinds down. It was night by the looks of it. "It feels like it all happened a minute ago."

What followed was a period of silence. I took a deep sigh and continued to lie in the hospital bed, avoiding Weiss' gaze and waiting for Gods know what. That was all I could do, stare into the ceiling feeling while guilty about myself.

"I think I should leave you to yourself for now. You obviously need some time alone." Weiss stood from the chair and walked toward the exit. As she opened the door, she stopped and called my name. "Jaune…"

That grabbed my attention, I turned to hear and listen to what she had to say with my expression remaining the same.

"Please don't blame yourself. All I know for certain is that this isn't your fault."

Sadly, that's all I could think of now. I risked myself for her, thinking that it was time for me to be a real hero for once, only to feel useless in the end. Cinder was supposed to stab me with my own sword, only for Pyrrha to jump in and take it. She saved me because I couldn't save her and I couldn't do anything but blame myself for that. There was nothing telling me otherwise.

"I hope you get well…" Weiss stepped out of the room and closed the door.

I was alone for a few minutes, lamenting on my undeserved survival before the door slowly creaked open with Ren and Nora entering the room. They were a little bruised, sporting worried faces that even the usually bright Nora looked glum, making it clear that they were aware of what happened and that they were affected by the event as much as I was.

Ren was holding my weapons and what's left of the Désir Ardent while Nora was holding other things, including the stuffed rabbit Pyrrha won at the carnival. It only reminded me how happy I was these past few days before everything went down the drain and it made me miss her more.

"Hey," she greeted, trying to force a smile that she would usually wear, only to frown again. I could only stare at them dispirited, feeling too dejected to greet them back. I couldn't even be grateful to see the rest of the team alive and mostly well. These were people who I deceived into believing I was a genuine friend and a good leader for an entire school year. I knew that if I cared, I would have to shut them out. I already lost someone important because of my inadequacy and I didn't want it to happen again.

"We had nowhere else to go and we were worried about you," Ren said before they both placed the items at the table next to my bed. "Here, these are a few things we were able to retrieve from Beacon."

They were also able to recover my journal as well as the notes I saved. "Don't worry, we haven't opened that." He reassured, maintaining straight eye contact which was enough to convince me that he was telling the truth.

Ren placed the Crocea Mors against the wall beside the table. As much as I wanted to be grateful for them bringing it back, I couldn't see the sword the same way anymore, let alone hold it so I didn't know what to think or say when they brought it back.

"Jaune…?" Nora sat on the chair and stared at me with concern in her turquoise eyes. "...Is there anything you need?"

"I'm fine, Nora," I muttered. I didn't feel like I deserved their sympathy. They were better off spending their time with something else other than me.

"You're obviously not." Ren firmly stepped up. "I know what you're feeling right now, Jaune, which is why we're here for you."

I groaned as I began losing my patience. Pyrrha wasn't the only thing I was upset about, he doesn't know how much I was going through. "Ren, I already said I'm fine."

He remained adamant about it, however. "We're not leaving you like this. Let us help, we're your teammates, we're supposed to look out for each other in a time like this."

"I'll be alright, just please, leave me be!" I raised my voice.

Ren shook his head. "You are not being honest with us. If you could just—"

I pretty much had it at that point and interrupted him. I didn't want their company and I didn't want to be comforted when I didn't deserve it. As much as I want to admire their loyalty and continuous support, they were sadly being misguided for trying to help a wretch who has been manipulating them from the start. "You want me to be honest? Fine, I'll be honest, I am NOT the hero you see me as!"

They both flinched back in shock over hearing me yell. "I did not do all those heroic feats on purpose. Everything you thought about me were nothing more than lies! I let you believe them because you were too stupid enough to think that I was anything more than a worthless nobody that I have always been for my entire miserable. I only used you to get me through Beacon alive so I had to keep pretending to be something I'm know I'm not! Saving Pyrrha on that tower was my only real chance of to be hero but I couldn't do it! Pyrrha is dead because she couldn't have a partner who isn't a pathetic lying fraud!"

Finally, I was able to tell my teammates the truth, it was pitiful how it had to take my partner dying for me to do so. This could have ended differently and I could still have told them the truth but that sadly isn't the case.

Despite this, Ren continued to insist otherwise. "But even if that's true, whatever happened to her can't be your fault. You can't keep blaming yourself."

"Yes, it was!" I snapped in fury. "Want to know how she died? Cinder stabbed her with my sword when she wanted me! She's supposed to be the one breathing right now. I could have saved her, Ren. I could have stopped this but I couldn't. I love her, I owe my life to her and now I could never repay it!" I yelled hard enough that I felt the pain from my shoulder.

There was another pause with them trying to process everything I just said before I heard Ren apologize. "I'm sorry." He looked at the ground to avoid my gaze. "I'm sorry that we weren't there to help. Pyrrha was more than a friend to us as well."

"Ren, you have no one to blame but me." I grieved. There wasn't anything that could alleviate my feelings of guilt. "Now please. I need to be alone."

"If that's what you want." He said, turning towards the door. "Sorry if we bothered you, I wish you well, and I mean it."

Ren began to walk out of the room, prompting Nora to stand up and follow him reluctantly but not before taking another moment to look at me with pity. "You're still my Fearless Leader…"

"I'm not a fearless leader, Nora. I never was." I ruefully muttered that I couldn't look back at her. "You can stop pretending that I am now."

She stayed there for another second before putting something at the table. "Either way, Pyrrha would want you to have this."

I had nothing more to say. I continued to avoid her gaze and just sat there, her presence was felt for sometime within a minute before I heard the door close and that I was alone again. I never saw them again in the hospital after that and I don't blame them. [2] They deserved a better leader than me.

After another minute, I turned to the table to see what she left. It was a scroll—Pyrrha's scroll. The very same one she gave me to me before facing Cinder on the top of Beacon's tower.

I could only hold it for a few seconds before putting it back, I would have thrown it across the room out of blind rage because of how much it reminded me of that night if it wasn't for the fact that it's one of the only things left from Pyrrha.

I looked at the other items that were recovered, focusing on the other remaining piece of my partner—the stuffed rabbit. I took it from the table, taking time to stare at it before hugging it as I sobbed. From now on, this was the closest thing for me to feel her presence and sensation again.

I shouldn't have taken her for granted.

=o=

1. Around sixteen hours if I recall correctly. The Fall of Beacon took place during evening and Jaune regained consciousness at midnight the following day.

2. A few accounts state that they actually remained in hospital. for a few days but never made contact afterwards. They left Vale shortly after Ruby and Yang were transferred to Patch.

---

I was able to sleep because of my trauma but at the same time, it felt like I couldn't. I kept thinking about what happened at the tower. I could recall every detail, from Cinder shooting an arrow on that girl on the pod to her almost slicing my own throat. No matter what I think, I always saw myself lying there helpless, incapable of doing anything at all.

And this was only the first night that it haunted me.

Waking up in the morning, I heard that Weiss' father took her home later last night and that Blake just left abruptly not long after her wounds were healed. With what was happening to her teammates, I expected her to stay longer for their sake especially after hearing that her partner's arm was sliced off. I couldn't blame her though, I would have almost done the same thing like the spineless coward I was.

The destruction of Beacon Tower led to the kingdom losing its link to the CCT network. There were some backup towers that kept Vale's communications online but the connection was limited within its borders only, meaning that while the Valish public can only make texts and phone calls in a local range, things that rely on the kingdom's central CCTS such as the holonet are currently inaccessible at the moment.

The TV in my hospital room was functional but there were only two working channels one of which was VNN, showing reports and updates of the aftermath of the crisis, albeit with some static and signal interferences. The other channel was an emergency broadcast system by the kingdom's government, not much else to say about that.

Sometime after lunch, I heard someone knocking on the door. As usual, I refused to respond regardless of who it was, be it the doctor or the nurse, I was still too despondent to bother with them.

The door opened and I realized that the person who was knocking was none other than General Ironwood. "Mr. Arc…"

I could only frown at him as he stepped into the room. He looked at me with a sympathetic gaze. "I know what you are feeling right now and you have my condolences. But I have some questions that I need to be answered for you regarding the incident at Beacon Tower."

I felt my heart pound faster, being aware that I was to be interrogated regarding what happened on Beacon. This was one of the things I feared since I had to recall the occurrences of a recent event that was too painful for me to look back to and I could only feel unsettled.

He seemed to have noticed this and tried to empathize with me. "I am aware that this might not be an ideal time and that you are still recovering from such a traumatic event. But I cannot stay in Vale for long and I need all my answers directly from you while you still remember them."

I remained silent, staring ahead toward nothingness, not knowing how to respond. Even if I could, I didn't want to. It was clear what his intention was for me and I wasn't willing to collaborate with someone who might have been involved with whatever plan Ozpin had that all led to this.

"Jaune, please." He called me by my first name, though I only saw it as another attempt to appeal to my better nature. "This is very important. I want justice for Miss Nikos as much as you do. All I need is your cooperation."

Even when I got the will to speak again, I still didn't want to answer, I had too many questions of my own that I demanded to know. "Why?" I stared at him, slowly raising my voice out of scorn. "Why her? What did you need from her to get her life thrown out like that?!"

The general sighed, as if to say he expected me to react like this. "Let me explain. We knew this was going to happen. Pyrrha was our best candidate to counter the attack. We did not wish for it to end like this either."

That wasn't enough, if anything it raised more questions and telling me that they knew this was going to happen didn't make it any better. I was desperate to know why this all happened. "What is even going on?! What are you not telling me? What exactly did you plan with her? What did she die for?!"

"I'll explain to you everything. But right now, I need you to trust me," The general replied, trying to keep his calm as his impatience grew.

My eyes narrowed at him, recalling what Pyrrha had to do to sacrifice herself like that. "Whatever plan you had with her got her killed! Why should I trust you?"

"Because we're the only ones capable of stopping Cinder Fall!" At that point, the general gave up trying to be clement. I barely flinched and continued to glare at him as he continued to speak. "With Ozpin gone, I am currently in charge of his operation into stopping a dangerous threat determined to destroy all of Remnant! Now do you understand why I am in need of your cooperation?"

I kept on scowling at him. They used Pyrrha as a means to something that still remained vague. I wasn't giving them any answers until I knew what was exactly going on. The general looked discontented, feeling challenged over my lack of compliance.

The door suddenly opened and what came out was unexpected for both of us. "James."

The person called the general's first name in a very familiar voice. It wasn't until another second that I finally recognized who he was. "Dad?"

"Caiaphas?" The general's eyes widened as he turned toward the unexpected guest "What are you doing here?"

Dad entered the room. He was wearing his usual Huntsman outfit—a charcoal black coat and a peaked cap that resembles a military officer's hat[1] with the Arc family insignia placed in front of it. This apparel made him look like his authority was on par with the general's, if not greater.

"When I heard about what happened at Beacon, I got here as soon as I could. It turns out it was far worse than I imagined." He answered before he looked and saw the sorrow and pain in my eyes yet again. "You need to let him go, James, he's been through enough."

General Ironwood wasn't having it. "Why should I listen to you? You're not a Commissar anymore, Caiaphas, nor are you working for us. You don't have any authority anymore."

"That may be the case, but he's here because of me. He is my responsibility."

"He's the only remaining witness on what happened at Beacon Tower. Whatever information he has could help us recover from our loss."

"Look at him, James." Dad gestured at me in bed in a less-than-ideal condition. "Does he look like he could help you right now? He's broken. He needs some time to recover before we could count on him for anything."

"As someone who has seen countless of good men get hurt, I understand what he is going through, but this is important. Beacon is overrun by Grimm and a Hostile Maiden is on the loose with more power now. This is not the time for us to take chances," Ironwood argued.

"If you want answers then leave him to me. Whatever it is, I'll handle it. I know him more than anyone else in the state he's in. I am the only one he could trust right now."

"But can I even trust you? Even if I let you take him, how can I be so sure that you won't withhold information with me once you're done?"

"Does it look like I want Salem to win? After everything I did for Atlas and beyond and as a former student of Beacon?" Dad asked him rhetorically. "I did not give up my position to abandon Remnant, James, I did it for him. Because I believed in him. One day he might become the Huntsman we need to finish this once and for all but right now, he is just a distressed boy who is in need of a rest."

General Ironwood grumbled as he took a moment to think. He sighed once he conceded with my father's reasons. "You are always a stubborn one, Arc, but you have yet to fail me. I'll take your word for it, and for your son's sake. Just remember that I expect answers soon enough."

Dad nodded at him. "I'll be sure you'll get what you're looking for."

The general adjusted his tie. "I must go." He took one last glance at me. "Take care now, Mr. Arc. I apologize if I sounded unpleasant. This was difficult for me too." He said while giving me a sympathetic look. "For what its worth, all I know is that you did your best. I pray for your recovery."

He walked out of the room that the only other person in it was my own father. "Dad…" I breathed out. He was the only person to give me genuine comfort since I woke up on this bed.

"It's okay, Jaune. I'm here." He reassured, stepping closer toward my bed. "Listen, about what happened..."

"I don't want to talk about it." I woefully muttered. I have been thinking about the fall too much now that I was in a need to distance myself from it.

"Okay. I understand." He breathed softly, taking a minute for the dust to settle before speaking once more. "So, you want to stay here or—?""

"Let's just go. There's no place for me here anymore." All I want is to forget about everything and return to being a nobody in Pucelle. It was the only place where I belonged and the only kind of life I deserved. I'm done pretending to be a selfless Huntsman, this was something I should have done a long time ago.

He paused for a bit before deciding to take my request. "Alright then."

I stayed in the room for a few more hours to let my aura reserves heal my wounds while my dad stayed at the side. After that, I was eligible to leave the hospital. Rose and Rouge were waiting near the room; they hugged me as soon as I came out. They tried to ask me about what happened but I still didn't want to talk about it. Dad told me that I was going through a lot and that they should save their questions for another day. And with that, they were about as speechless as I was on our way home.

We quietly left the hospital, managing to avoid civilian and media attention. Although the city was mostly intact, the aftermath of the outbreak was visible when we drove through the kingdom's capital. The streets were almost void of civilians and were mostly occupied with military and emergency personnel while everyone else was presumably still held in evacuation areas, even the area around the airport had little traffic. A megaphone was heard around the city urging citizens to cooperate with the authorities and remain calm in order to stop the Grimm from being fed with further fear and other negative emotions.

We left Vale in a private Bullhead that Dad owned. It was a quiet flight, I never even felt my own motion sickness because I already felt terrible to begin with. I overlooked the now-broken city of Vale before passing by the ruins of Beacon, reminiscing the times I spent this past year. I couldn't help but feel like I just witnessed an end of an era, one that had to sadly end in tragedy. I never wanted to be here to become a Huntsman and yet seeing the kingdom's capital in this state was disheartening after a year of essentially living there.

After a few hours of flying, we finally arrived at Pucelle. The first thing I did after going inside my family house was to hug my mom with tears cascading in my face, and the only thing she could do was comfort me like she always does.

Everyone in the family was there waiting for us, concerned about my safety and wanting to make sure I was alright. I gathered my stuff before I handed my sword back to my dad, telling him that it belonged to him more than I did while looking down, avoiding anybody's gaze since I couldn't bear to look them in the eyes after I just failed my whole team. I also handed my mom back the torn halves of the Désir Ardent, apologizing for what happened to it. After that, I went straight to locking myself in my own room so I could continue feeling guilty for myself without having to hear everyone's misguided pity for me.

In a way, I finally got what I wanted, I was able to get home to have a peaceful life without any more worry about becoming a Huntsman, but this is not how I wanted it to end. I got too attached to my teammates that I started to believe that I could be something more than a fraud that I truly am when that wasn't true at all. I will never get over knowing that I let down my partner because I thought I could be capable of saving her because she believed in me. I wish she didn't have to waste her life on me like that. She deserved far better than this.

I went too far and after months of luckily avoiding any ramifications, I was finally paying the price. And there was nothing left for me but regret.

Nothing.

=o=

1. The famous Arc Cap was given to Commissar Caiaphas Arc as a gift by Morosco's Pro-Atlesian Government after aiding them against the separatists during the Moroscan Civil War. Peaked caps are one of the many symbols of Moroscan culture, so being gifted with one is often treated as being paid with the highest form of honor.

---

It was almost a week and all I could still think about was that night of The Fall. I couldn't go one minute without reliving that night along with thinking about how much I hated myself. Pyrrha should be the one safe at home, being surrounded and supported by friends and families instead of me. I didn't feel like I deserved this one bit, I didn't have anywhere to go while she would return to being a Huntress and be a far better hero than I would be.

Every time I look at the stuffed rabbit she won sitting in my drawer, I'm reminded of the happy moments we cherished together and I lament the fact that I will never get to make more of them ever again. I always found myself asking, why? Why did she have to save me? Why couldn't she just let me face my fate after everything I did? Why couldn't she just let me go so she could continue saving the world?

Why did she even love me? Even I knew that I wasn't worthy for her. I was hesitant to show my feelings for her that it almost took an entire school year for us to date, and it was too late to progress our relationship even further.

It kept on haunting me no matter what I did, it just wouldn't stop. Sometimes I could barely sleep while at other times I was lacking the will to wake up that I kept on oversleeping. Sometimes I feel like I just wanted to sleep and never wake up. I already felt like I was in a neverending nightmare anyway.

I barely ate, most of the time I never even touched my food. I didn't even make much contact with my own family even though I haven't left home since I got here since most of the time I kept myself locked up in my own room and took occasional walks alone. My family did try to help and console me but I always avoided them because I don't feel like I deserve any type of pity. I just wanted to let myself drown by my own guilt as if that would bring her back, I knew that it wouldn't but at that point, it felt like it was the only thing I wanted to do.

I didn't even know why I bothered coming to dinner. I was lacking the will to eat and I could only give my food a bite or two before leaving. So I just sat there, poking my food with a fork while I continued to brood.

This went on for a few more minutes before Rouge got tired of watching me be despondent and be silent about it, so she slammed the table while everyone was trying to eat peacefully. "You really need to snap out of it!"

Mom was caught off guard by this sudden outburst. "Rouge!"

"I can't bear to see him like this anymore. Jaune, I know that Pyrrha's death hit you hard but this has to fucking stop now!"

I groaned. This was one conversation I have wanted to avoid. "We've been through this. You're not making this any better for me. I couldn't stop thinking about it even if I wanted to."

"So you just want us to leave you like this? To keep feeling like shit and be sorry for yourself? Is that what you want then?!" She yelled at me while the rest of the family watched.

"Well, yes! I mean—I don't know. I just don't know." I stressed indecisively, not knowing what else to respond with.

"Then what is it then? What the hell do you exactly want? How do we even help you at this point when you don't even want to?!" Rouge continued to vehemently question me while I'm in my depressed state which prompted Dad to call her by name.

"Rouge."

She turned to him with slight annoyance, trying to bear with what he had to say. "We'll settle this later. Right now, just finish your dinner. Your brother will be fine." He calmly told her. Rouge gave him a questioning glare but she seemed to have been reassured with his following response. "Trust me."

She calmed down and went back to eating but not without giving me glares that try to remind me to snap out of it.

That was when I decided that I couldn't bear to be in there any longer and that my family didn't need to keep seeing me be this dejected. So I stood up from my chair and began stepping out from the dining room.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked as she noticed me leaving.

"For a walk," I said, trying not to look back. I believed I was doing them a favor because they won't have to keep watching me like this and waste their time trying to comfort me.

Verte spoke out, knowing the possible ramifications when doing so while I'm in this emotional state, not that it was going to change my mind. "But we can't let you just go out in the dark while you're—"

"Just let him go," Dad interjected.

"But—"

"He'll be alright. Don't worry about him." He reassured them with a composed look. I wasn't aware of why he was insisting everyone to leave me alone but I was at least grateful for that, even if I could never show it.

I headed out and gazed at the starry night star before following the pavement wherever it would lead me to. I was slightly hesitant because I made my family worry about me, but all I think of was wanting to get away. I still don't feel like I deserve anyone's help or comfort and I believed that I was doing everyone a favor by making sure no one wastes their time over me. I'm nothing and I deserved to be treated as such.

I kept on walking through Arcshire's meadows downcasted, not knowing or caring where I was heading. I just walked and walked. I didn't even know how long I've been walking and how far I went—all I knew was that I was still somewhere in Pucelle, seeing that I was still in the same grassland I've always lived in as a child but it was certain that I had wandered off too far from home.

Deciding to stop for a brief moment, I looked around and thought the place where I was at looked familiar. It was dark but I was able to recognize the nearby forest and I figured that I have been here before.

It turned out I have. Upon realizing it, another surge of unpleasant memories came to mind, realizing what the place was and I just wanted it to stop.

Eventually, I saw something creeping out from the grove. I could only describe it as a moving silhouette because I had trouble seeing it in the dark. As I looked closer, I found out that an Ursa was slowly crawling towards me. An Ursa. It always had to be an Ursa. I instinctively grabbed my belt only to find out that I didn't bring any weapons with me so all I could do was tremble in fear as I prepared myself to run away from danger once again. Even without the will to live, I was still adamant about protecting myself. I'm such a mess.

The growling became more pronounced as the Ursa neared me as it felt all of my negative energy. Something told me that it wouldn't be the last Grimm that would come after me if I keep on staying there. I knew I had to make a move and fast and my only option was to run back.

When the Ursa was about to pounce toward me, someone suddenly came in with a sword and a large pistol before I could take another step back. It didn't take more than a second to make me realize that it was none other than my own father especially with the distinct outfit he wears.

He fired three shots at the Ursa with his dust-enhanced hand-cannon before going in front of it. He slashed the Ursa a few times with a sword and ended it by stabbing its head. The Ursa collapsed to the dirt before its body began to evaporate.

I noticed that he was using the Crocea Mors instead of the chainsword he always uses before he sheathed it on his belt. [1] I tried not to think about Cinder using it to kill Pyrrha after seeing it again. After killing the Ursa, he looked with a mixed expression of mild annoyance and concern. "You know, I would normally respect your space and leave you alone to mope, but you're going too far now."

He was following me, was he? Otherwise, he wouldn't have been this far. That didn't really matter. I wasn't sure if I should be glad that he still cares for me as I still felt unworthy of pity. "Look, I'm sorry. I just don't know what to do with myself anymore." I replied ashamedly.

Before he put that to a discussion, his attention diverted to the decaying Ursa and the nearby forest on the dirt road where we were standing. "Let's just get out of here before more of the Grimm come."

He gently placed a hand on my back as he took me out of the forest, heading in the direction towards home, and I complied without objection.

Getting back to Arcshire took a while because of how far I wandered off. When we finally got there, Dad took me to a hill to take a break before we could go back to the house. There was a familiar-looking tree next to the hill that gave me a feeling of déjà vu.

It took me a minute to realize that this was the same hill I sat when I was a kid. The same hill where I made a wish that I wanted to be a hero like my parents, and the same hill where Dad comforted me when he saw me crying with a broken wooden sword a couple of days after Wendy and York died in the same forest with the Ursa earlier. Brothers above, it must have been a while since I wrote their names, the mere thought of them hurt.

Even after years of trying to let go of that particular memory, I remembered everything like it was yesterday. That day shaped me into what I am that it was something that I could never forget, no matter how much I desperately wanted to.

I never wanted to go back to this; I have even been trying to avoid writing about it in my memoirs, in hopes that I would eventually let go of it, but at this point, I couldn't help myself anymore.

=o=

1. Caiaphas used to wield the Crocea Mors as his weapon of choice before switching to a saber that was upgraded to a chainblade later in his career.

---

I was young, optimistic, and cheerful even though I didn't get along much with the other kids aside from my sisters and my two best friends, Wendy and York. Whereas other kids would bully and pick fights with me, telling me that I would never be as great as my family, Wendy and York always stood up for me and encouraged me to be myself and follow my dreams.

This was back when I wanted to follow my family's footsteps to becoming a Huntsman… a hero.

Even though Dad was too busy with work to spend time with me, he was the one I looked up to the most. He was the one that inspired me after I heard tales about his heroics and I decided that someday, I will become just like him.

But around that time, Dad didn't approve of it, he told me that Huntsman work wasn't worth it and that I should pursue something else in life. Remember back when I said that it was mandatory for Arcs to be trained and have their auras unlocked? That wasn't always true. He used to make sure that I would never become a Huntsman, even though he didn't seem to have any problem training my sisters either to become Huntresses or to learn self-defense. I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't let me train and it upset me, I just wanted to be like him.

It didn't stop me from still wanting to be a hero though, I thought that he just didn't see my potential yet. Wendy and York think I'd make a great hero and that I still had to start somewhere. Then that day came…

We were only twelve and were feeling adventurous that day. Being tired of going to the same old places all the time, we wandered around the area, thinking we'd be fine since there's not much Grimm activity in Pucelle. Then we ended up in a forest… the same forest where the Ursa attacked me earlier.

The forest looked empty, apart from a few deers and rabbits roaming around. The way how peaceful it appeared made it look like one of the most beautiful places we came across. We had fun inside the forest at first, we ran around, climbed trees and even played with some of the animals there. It felt like we had nothing to worry about, then we decided to play Hide Seek…

I was counted out to be 'it', so after counting to ten, I went to find the two hiding around the forest. While I was looking for them, I realized that the forest didn't look safe as it appeared. I was scared, I wasn't used to roaming around in such a place alone. It was quiet and yet I felt something lurking by. I came to the point where I gave up playing the game and called for their names repeatedly as I tried to stay calm. When I heard something approaching me I thought it was one of the two, but the steps sounded too loud to be either of them, then I realized it was a Beowolf.

For the first time in my life, I was genuinely terrified. I never faced a Grimm prior to that so I didn't know what to do, the only thing I knew was to run. I ran the fastest I've ever been. I eventually found Wendy and took her hand. We then saw York standing on a tree branch, telling us to come up there, and so we did.

It was safe for a moment in the tree branch, the Beowolf couldn't reach us, but that didn't stop it from trying to go after us. It scratched the tree trunk and tried to climb, only to slip back down. We figured we couldn't stay there and we had to keep moving from one tree or another until we either reach the end of the forest or get away from the Beowolf.

Unfortunately, I wasn't as athletic as the two so I fell after jumping from the second tree and became vulnerable to the Beowolf as I found myself back in the ground. York tried to save me by jumping on it, he had it restrained at first but the next second it shook him off before it proceeded to maul him before my very own eyes. That was the very moment when my life began to change forever.

The Beowolf then shifted its attention to me, before it could make another step however Wendy got off the tree and threw a rock at the Grimm to buy me some time to escape. The Beowolf was crawling toward her and it was my chance for me to run away, but I was hesitant; I didn't want to leave her. I saw her dragging herself backward as the Beowolf drew near her. I knew I had to do something but I don't know if I could do it. I tried to think what my dad would do if he was in that position, I wanted to be brave.

So I charged in front of the Beowolf, swinging my wooden sword at its teeth. Wendy begged me not to be a hero and run while I barely tried pushing back the Beowolf with my sword. Eventually, the Beowolf broke my wooden sword and shoved me away. The next thing I remember was hearing Wendy's screams when I was trying to get back up.

I could never forget her last words nor could I help but take them to heart:

"Jaune, please run! Don't be a hero! Just run!"

There was nothing I could do anymore. A part of me wanted to let myself get killed by the Beowolf after seeing both of my best friends die, but I couldn't help but follow Wendy's last wish for me.

I was able to reach the end of the forest with tears dropping from my eyes where two rangers happen to be passing by. They were able to save me and shoot down the Grimm but I was beyond repair at that point. When they tried to ask me if I was okay and what happened, I couldn't utter a single word, I wasn't even able to speak until a couple of days passed.

So the rangers took me to the nearest village where one of its inhabitants recognized that I was an Arc and directed me back home. Even when I couldn't tell my family what happened, they almost immediately knew what happened especially after they looked into it.

When York's parents found out, his mother became an alcoholic and his father's life became more stressful and difficult. Eventually, they decided to distance themselves from us and moved somewhere else; I never heard from them again. What happened to Wendy's single father was far more tragic as he was later found hanging inside his own house a few days after learning what happened to his daughter, and all I could was feel responsible.

My life was never the same again, remembering Wendy's last words, I didn't want to be a Huntsman anymore so I ripped off the Huntsman poster that kept me motivated and threw away all the drawings of me being a hero, I was entirely convinced that I am never meant to follow my family's legacy and that Dad was right about me. The other kids became nicer to me, but mostly out of pity and I lost the will to go back to school again. I could barely feel the sincerity in the condolences people gave to me, so I pretty much lost trust in everyone outside my family. I grew weary of the world after realizing how cruel life can be from that month alone.

One of the biggest changes was Dad suddenly changing his mind about training me. He didn't want it to happen again, so he finally unlocked my aura and trained me to fight like a Huntsman just like my sisters. If only he had accepted this beforehand I would have been enthusiastic at the notion that I was finally going to become like my ancestors but all I only felt like I was taking it out of necessity.

I got better after a few months, I became closer to Dad than I ever was before the incident as I grew stronger from my training. It took me a while to adjust back but things were going back to normal. Sadly, what happened that day will continue to scar me for years to come. The best I could do was keep my mind off it, I even went as far as to train in the same woods where Wendy and York died, even killing some Grimm there. I was able to alleviate my trauma against forests and Beowolves, but the thought of my friends' dying remained.

When I tried to save Pyrrha on the Beacon, I thought I could prevent it from happening again with how far I come, only to fail once more while Pyrrha kept reminding me of Wendy. From telling me to get away to the way she died to protect me. Even Ozpin's defeat was reminiscent of York's death to an extent.

I trained hard so something like this could never happen again, yet in the end, I felt like it was all for nothing. I still kept running away from danger, even leaving people behind and when I actually tried saving someone I care for, I ended up failing. All I got from this was unmerited glory, painting a manipulative illusion that I was carrying the legacy of my forefathers, the type of glory that my friends should have got instead and it only made me hate myself even more. I wasn't sure if I could handle this anymore.

---

It begged me to ask why Dad brought me here, especially after going to a forest that reminded me of one life-changing tragedy after I just recently experienced another. Haven't I been through enough pain already?

By the looks of it, this was something he intended to answer as he took note of my expression. "I know what you are thinking, which is why I brought you here." He stared at the starry night sky above us as we stood on the hill.

"What exactly do you want from me?" I dolefully demanded.

"I just want to remind you that you're still alive because there are people that still care about you. Letting yourself get killed will only undermine their sacrifice," he answered in a wise, calming tone.

Even if that made sense, it didn't help me much. My friends are putting their life before mine was not something I'm personally proud of, even though it made me feel safe since I did want them to protect my cowardly rear but I didn't wish for it to end like this. "But why? What good am I anymore? They had brighter futures than me while I'm nothing but a disappointment of an Arc, yet I'm the one who gets to live." I looked down as I sat on the grass. "What do you even see in me, Dad? I will never be as great as you."

Dad shook his head, sitting down as well. "Don't be too hard on yourself, you don't know that. You're still young, you've still yet to fully discover your potential as a person."

Sadly my mind was so plagued with self-doubt that I still felt troubled after hearing that. Being a failure was all I could think of myself. "I don't know. The thing is, I'm not cut out for this. I've been training in Beacon for a year and I don't feel like I've done something right. To tell you the truth, everything I did was just a sham to keep myself safe. Everyone thinks I'm a hero for doing great feats an ideal Huntsman would do but that was only because I was stupid enough to put myself into dire situations that I just wanted to get out of. And I couldn't help but maintain that illusion because I don't know what would happen to the Arc name if everyone finds out that I was a cheat."

I carried on with my self-critique, one that I believed to be rightfully deserved. "The reason why I even bothered trying to save Pyrrha was because she believed in me, and I wanted to give myself a chance to see if I really am what everyone thinks, and maybe I can finally save someone important to me this time around. But I still couldn't, even with all the training I had, I was still helpless. Cinder used the Crocea Mors to kill her while I watched. There was nothing I could do."

Wiping a tear off my cheek, I continued to lament all my life's failures and misfortunes that I have to put up with. "I'm a failure. You were right when you told me that this life was not worth it. I should have never wished to have become a Huntsman in the first place. I should have known my place and never had followed this stupid dream. I should have known that I was never meant to be like you, a true hero…" My voice trailed off as I closed my eyes in shame. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry for being a bad son. You thought that I might carry your torch someday, but in the end, I'm just a disappointment. I'm really sorry…"

I sobbed, being filled with nothing but despair. I felt like there was no more hope for me and the only thing I knew was to go back to being a no-name civilian while having to put up with guilt over my life decisions to the day until I die, that was before Dad suddenly said something that caught me by surprise. "I wouldn't call myself a good father either."

I opened my eyes to look at him gazing at the night sky. "If anything, I'm the one who should be sorry. If I just encouraged you to follow your dreams and trained you sooner, you might have ended up differently that you wouldn't be hating yourself this much." His brown eyes then gazed at mine as he bore a face that conveys guilt. "I've made a lot of mistakes, Jaune, but my greatest regret is that I wasn't there for you when you needed me. You may call yourself a failure, but I wasn't much better myself."

He took a moment to breathe before explaining why. "When you were a boy, you reminded me too much of myself that it made me worry for the future that awaits you. I didn't want to put you into the type of life the Arcs had to suffer through because I believed you deserved far better than that. But it turned out, I only made things worse by pushing you away from your dreams."

He lowered his head. "And ever since that day, you've become depressed enough to make yourself a bigger target for the Grimm. I knew I had to do something, especially after I took you for granted for so long. I didn't want to end up like my own father who ended up dying in battle before he could see his only son grow up. [1] So I stopped working for Ozpin [2] for while just so I could make everything up to you and give you the training you deserved."

"But why make me a Huntsman?" I asked, given how I could have just taken the training and avoid the trouble of becoming one just like half of my sisters did.

"Because it turned out you were a natural at fighting when we were training you. Ozpin would have eventually noticed, I know how he works and that he would have come for you whether you like it or not, so I wanted you to be prepared as much as possible. The world needed more heroes. There may be plenty of Huntsman but not enough to change the world."

"But I'm not a hero. I never was and I don't think I'll ever be. Ozpin is gone now. I couldn't save him. I couldn't save Pyrrha. I'm just a coward who everyone thinks is more than that," I muttered, especially knowing that I went through the entire school year without a genuine desire to be a Huntsman, making me believe that everything I've trained for to be a waste.

He gave me a sympathetic frown. "I used to say the same thing to myself. I was like you too, Jaune. I got my reputation by trying to avoid problems I don't want anything to do with, only to come out looking like a hero. I used to lie and hurt people who looked up to me and I chose to uphold an image I didn't feel like I earned. The only reason why I even went to Beacon and became a Huntsman was because I thought it won't be as bad as being a soldier for the Atlesian Military. It was a miracle that I was even able to get this far alive."

The only way I could describe myself after learning that was that it left me completely speechless. All this time, Dad was not so different from me, he also thought he was an ingenuine coward not deserving of his own reputation. Just by looking at his eyes, I could tell that he was being sincere. Sincere enough that it couldn't have been a vain attempt to sound relatable in order to coax me.

"I felt like I fooled everyone, especially you, you used to call me biggest damn hero the world has ever seen. Granted, you were young and didn't know what I actually was but making myself a better father and seeing you grow up be stronger after what you had to go through is enough to convince me that I was a true hero and that everything I fought for was worth it. I really missed seeing your face when I told you my stories, even though they were probably one of my exaggerated tales. I remember you being a boy who dreamed big with a huge smile on his face despite his troubles." He then placed a hand on my shoulder while giving an encouraging smile. "And I know that boy is still in there somewhere."

I could feel my doubts slowly fade as he kept on consoling me. At that moment, I felt like I wasn't in vain for once. "You're not alone in this, Jaune. All of us Arcs almost had the same struggle. We all tried looking for a peaceful life, only to be entangled with our own destinies, and we all have our doubts, especially when it comes to ourselves. But we still kept on moving forward, whether it would be so we could keep fighting for our own peace or simply because we have grown to believe in it. We may call ourselves selfish, cowardly, or maybe fraudulent, but we won't let ourselves go down that easily. In some ways, you were a lot better than I was when I was your age, at least that's how I saw it. And with that, I know that you'd make a great Huntsman. I just want you to know that I'm proud of you no matter what you might be thinking right now."

After days of feeling nothing but self-contempt, I finally found myself smiling again. I still wasn't sure if I really am worthy of my reputation as a hero, I guess I might never even know, but I was finally feeling better, and maybe that's enough. My father has always been my hero, and he still is even after he told me that he used to be a scoundrel like I was. I knew that I was right to look up to him.

I proceeded to give him a hug while tears continued to stream on my face, only this time these were tears of joy. Dad returned the gesture, wrapping me in his embrace as he patted my back a couple of times. This lasted for a minute before we let go of each other. We decided to stay on the hill for a little longer so we can watch the starry sky together for old times' sake.

There was still one thing that was disturbing me as I remembered the sword my father used earlier. "I just have one more question."

"What is it?"

"Would I still be able to hold the Crocea Mors again after I saw it stab my partner?"

He gave me a concerned look after he heard the question but he was nonetheless happy to answer. "The sword is no stranger at killing good people. I don't even think your great-great-great-grandfather was that much of a saint. But don't forget that the sword also had its share of lives it saved, including yours. The Crocea Mors is always known as a weapon of the righteous, and in the right hands, it still is. It doesn't always have to be remembered for shedding the blood of the just and innocent, and a single person using it for evil shouldn't change that."

I used to dream of using that sword not knowing what lives it took because I believed it to be a true hero's weapon, but it turned out to be just as dirty as us Arcs. I was convinced that its image doesn't matter anymore, and even when Cinder used it to kill Pyrrha, I still can't bring myself to hate it. After all, Dad did use the sword to protect me, so that weapon is better off being seen as a tool, one that does its job right despite of what it's been through "I guess you're right," I said.

Dad smiled before he stood up. "We should go home. The girls are waiting for us."

"Good idea." I nodded as I followed. After this eventful evening, I thought that it was best to finally call it a night.

We made our way back to the Arc Family Manor. Since I felt better, I didn't need to worry about the Grimm anymore, especially with my father at my side.

When I stepped into the entrance hall, Rouge was there waiting for us, still worried about me. I approached her with a sheepish smile. "I always was a crybaby, huh Rouge?"

She stared at me for a moment, looking at Dad giving her a nod before she let out an amicable smirk. "You always were."

Classic old Rouge, and I wouldn't have it any other way. "Look I'm sorry for what happened earli—"

"Oh, forget about it. Just go easy on yourself, alright?" she told me as she playfully tousled my hair, not that it bothered me much since it reminded me of the happier days when I was younger.

Mom and the others later walker in to check on me. Dad held my shoulder as we both gave them reassuring smiles to dispel any remaining concerns about me. "Don't worry about me, guys. I'll be fine as long as I'm with you," I told them.

They all smiled brightly as they all proceeded to give me one big familial hug. One that I finally become grateful for, I guess I was wrong for shying out on them. It was enough to comfort to restore all hope I have for myself, I may still have my deepest regrets, but at least that I will always have my family and that they will always be there for me.

Later that night, I went to my bedroom with a huge sigh while being glad at the way this all turned out. It was a long night and it's finally time to let myself unwind and hope for a better day tomorrow. I may not be able to forget about the Fall of Beacon, but at least I'll also have this night to remember to remind me that not everything is lost and that I still have something to live for.

I heard the door suddenly open. I didn't lock it this time because I was now willing to talk to my family if they needed something from me. I found out that it was Noire and Blanche entering my room with an acoustic guitar. I remember them teaching me how to play it. When you live in a Gallican countryside, this was one of the things you should expect.

"Hey, you don't mind if we sing you a song for a bit?" Noire asked.

They used to sing me lullabies back when I was a kid. Obviously, I'm too old for those now but hearing them sing was something that's always welcome for me. Semblance or not, their voices were very pleasing to hear. "No, not at all go ahead."

They grabbed the nearest chairs and sat beside my bed. Noire played a very familiar tune which was later followed by Blanche's singing.

"When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we'll see…"

It was one of my favorite songs. The one that they use to sing to me when I was younger. The one that they used to teach me with, and the one that helped me keep moving forward during dark times.

Once they reached the chorus, the twins sang in harmony.

"So darling, darling

Stand by me, oh stand by me

Oh stand, stand by me

Stand by me"

The song continued for another verse, and I just listened with a smile on my face as I felt my spirits rise with the magic of their songs.

"Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me

Oh stand by me, oh won't you stand now, stand

Stand by me…"

I was more than satisfied when it ended, feeling like I just lost more of my troubling thoughts that would have still made sleeping difficult. "Thanks, guys."

"Your welcome," Noire said with a cordial look on her face. "We always look out for our little brother."

I made a faint chuckle over her playful use of that name. Never once was I actually bothered by being called their little brother because it just shows that they cared for me, even if they really like to tease me for it.

"Sweet dreams," Blanche grinned before they walked out of the room and closed the door. Shortly after that, I slipped into a deep slumber.

=o=

1. Captain Edwin Beanadder Arc was killed in action at a military operation during a campaign against a militant Nordic Khornite cult that was on a conquest against Atlesian vassals. Caiaphas was only eleven years old when this unfortunate event happened. His mother would soon die of a disease following his father's death and he would have been put under the care of his maternal aunt before being sent to a military boarding school where he would receive his initial training.

2. While Caiaphas was working in Ozpin's order, he also worked as an assistant teacher for Miss Goodwitch in Beacon, teaching students teamwork, tactics, and some combat advice. Ozpin accepted his leave after learning about his son.

---

I was able to sleep in quiet solace that night, I did not receive any nightmares or any miserable thoughts but I was finally able to sleep peacefully after a week of suffering through trauma. Life appeared brighter when I woke up the following morning, feeling well-rested and more vigorous than I was the past few days.

And for once, I felt grateful.

Getting up, I noticed Pyrrha's scroll and the stuffed rabbit sitting on my desk while it kept reminding me of the Fall of Beacon. I didn't want to go through the trouble of feeling downtrodden over it again and I wanted to remember Pyrrha for something other than her death. It's what she would have wanted.

So I picked up her scroll which now belongs to me and I opened up the gallery. Aside from a few self-portraits and scenery shots, there was an album containing mementos of our days in Beacon. There were pictures of our team and Team RWBY throughout the school year, whether it be a group photo of us in the cafeteria after the initiation, a picture of us covered in food at the cafeteria during the first day of second semester, the dance, Taco Tuesday (well, with burritos in this case) after we completed our first mission, and a picture of us in the Bullhead after we beat Dr. Merlot on his own island, you get the idea.

I couldn't help but smile and feel nostalgic. Even though I was usually scheming my way out of the worse of Huntsman work, I was still able to make fond memories and genuine friends that I never thought I would have. And I could only wish them well, now that we're all separated and the academy is overrun.

There were also a few videos. Most of them were just recordings of some matches and other spars, and some recordings of Pyrrha practicing her speech for fan-meet ups or something. Then I saw the most recent video, which was recorded during the night before the Fall.

Curious, I decided to play it.

Pyrrha was standing in front of the camera, she was noticeably at the rooftops of the first year dorms. She was wearing a smile that I have been missing since she passed.

"Hello again! If you are seeing this, then I am no longer in possession of this scroll. I am leaving you all this message in case I'm placed in a position that I could not escape or if I'm unable to see my friends and family ever again," she frowned at the last sentence.

"As much as I hope that it won't be the case, I'm afraid there is a big responsibility waiting for me. I am not certain of what will exactly happen to me, but all I know for certain is that I would never be the same ever again."

Her smile eventually returned. "So I just want to show my gratitude to all my friends and family while I still can. I chose to become a Huntress because I wanted to find more of myself. I wanted to become more than just a famed athlete and use my abilities to help save the world I live in, and I ended up getting more than that. I was able to meet amazing friends and teammates that show me that everything I am fighting for is worth it. My life would have been empty without them."

"Sadly, all good things will have to come to pass. I know this is a lot to take in and I also wish that it didn't have to end like this soon, but at least that I know that I will go down having been fulfilled with what was missing from me. Please know that I am doing this for all the people that I believe in, as a Huntress and as a friend. I am doing this because it's my duty and because I care for all of you."

"Once again I thank you all. I thank my family for raising me well and making me the best I can be; my teachers for helping me grow both physically and mentally; and I thank the rest of my friends and my teammates for helping me appreciate life outside competition and how much that it is worth living.

"And last but not least, I especially thank my leader and my partner, Jaune, who was always there for me when I needed him. You filled the lonely gap in my life that would have left me lonely at the top and I am very grateful for that. I could never imagine what life would be like without you. I'm sorry that I have to go, I wish I could stay with you too, but just know that I am very glad to have you in my life and I will always treasure our moments together. I hope you stay strong and don't lose hope. Remember that no matter what happens, I'll always be here for you. You always were a true hero to me. Don't you forget that."

"I am going to miss you all. Keep fighting for what you believe in. I wish you all the very best."

The video ended and I could only stare at the screen as small tears of joy streamed from my eyes. I was very glad to see her face and hear her voice again, even if watching this video is now the only way for me to do that. She may be gone, but she'll always have a special place in my heart. I think it's about time for me to honor her sacrifice, I have to keep moving forward, for her sake.

Living well is enough to return all the favors I owe her, and a brand new day had just started.

---

Editorial Note: Jaune remained with his family in Pucelle for two peaceful months following the previous entry as he slowly recovers from the Fall of Beacon. We continue on the next relevant section which was written during December before we conclude this volume of The Jaune Archive.

It's been a while since The Fall of Beacon and I learned quite a lot since then.

Dad explained the whole thing going on with Ozpin. He told me that everything about this is a major secret and I shouldn't tell anyone about it. He knew that Ozpin was planning on getting me to work for him one way or the other thanks to his tradition of recruiting Arcs on his ranks and he wanted me to be prepared for the inevitable as soon as possible. It's a little complicated so much that I almost don't know where to begin explaining all of this.

Apparently, Ozpin is some sort of immortal wizard working for the Brother Gods and he possesses bodies of mortal humans and changes host each time the current one dies [1]. His goal is to help the Brothers stop some other-worldly demonic beings called The Ruinous Powers, or the Chaos Gods and their champion, Salem, the current master of the Grimm, all of whom seek to conquer the world to their own liking. This was the group that Cinder and her cronies were working for.

Ozpin is somewhere out there looking for another host, in the meantime, General Ironwood is the closest thing his order has to a leader. The Order consisted of most of the Beacon staff; other headmasters; and some Watchmen from the Watchers of Remnant, the covert intelligence wing of The United Councils Committee. Operations against Chaos are done under the guise of normal missions since everyone wants to make sure that the public never learns about the secret conflict.

Pyrrha got dragged into it when she was chosen to be the next Fall Maiden. Maidens are these young women who are cursed with magical powers that are linked to The Realm of Chaos, also known as The Warp. Each Maiden represents a season. When one maiden dies, her powers get transferred to the last young woman she thought of before passing away, otherwise, the powers get transferred to a different young woman randomly. Ozpin has been trying to keep the Maidens on his side because of the power they possess, and what he was trying to do back in Beacon was to transfer the previous Fall Maiden's using some sort of aura machine to Pyrrha, and we know how that went. Now Cinder may or may not have the Fall Maiden's full power and Salem is probably looking for the other Maidens by now.

We also have four relics to worry about. The Relics that were supposedly gifted to us by The Brother Gods could counter the dark powers as long as we keep them free of Chaos taint. Each of them is kept in one of the four major academies, which explains why Cinder went to the top of the Beacon tower in the first place. Whatever the Crown of Creation (The Relic that was hidden in Beacon) does, it is now safe in General Ironwood's hands.

This conflict has been going on for ages and has shaped history a few times, and it was still kept in the shadows. Not even the councils themselves are fully aware of what's going on, the only other group to be aware of it was a portion of The Watchers of Remnant, who apparently have their own plan to fight The Forces of Chaos, which sometimes puts them at odds with Ozpin.

Whether I still believed in the Gods and religion or not, Chaos was indeed real and they have several cults around the world for a good reason. If I thought the Grimm were bad, they were far worse, because I was told that the reason why The Grimm abandoned The Dark Brother, the one who created them, was because they found the powers of the Chaos Gods to be more alluring than His. And while The Grimm get attracted to negative emotion, Chaos is fueled by them. The worst part was negative emotions aren't the only thing powering Chaos but other everyday emotions as well. The only way to counter this was by giving your energy to other gods, but that would only take us so far.

And as the case for Ruby, her eyes literally make her special. It turned out she is one of the 'Silver-Eyed Warriors' who are said to be extraordinary beings that can destroy Grimm with a single sight, which is probably why that Grimm dragon in Beacon turned to stone. I remembered Pyrrha mentioning the legend the morning before her match, Ruby must have used her powers before I fell unconscious that day, explaining the bright lights accompanied by her screaming. Anyways, Ozpin's order needs these silver-eyed warriors since they could help us defeat Salem and the worst of the Grimm Horde, and so far Ruby is the only one that I know of. Made me wonder how she was doing as I wrote this.

Gods above, that's a lot to take in. The short version basically boils down to Ozpin having a secret, perpetual war against an evil overlord named Salem, serving the Brother Gods and The Chaos Gods respectively as they fight over control of holy items and magical girls whose powers are connected to the realm that the Chaos Gods resides in—that determines the fate of the world. Oh, and silver-eyes are the Grimm's biggest weakness which Ruby has. At least this is how I understood it.

I didn't know what to say. While it was able to explain some things, most of it just sounded too preposterous to be true. I was tempted to call my own father crazy but he had no reason to lie to me and said that if I didn't believe it, I soon will. I'll take his word for now, but I'll still take everything with a pinch of salt until I have enough proof.

In exchange, I told him everything I knew about The Fall of Beacon. It should be all the information The Order needs to know. If what Dad was saying is true then we're in a tight spot after losing Beacon, and there is much work to be done.

So I spent my time here in the homestead, enjoying the peace as much as I can. I was finally able to once again live my life as it once were before Beacon, slacking around on some days while helping out with the family business on other days I continued to train in my downtimes in order to stay sharp and so I can be more prepared for the inevitable.

After all, Vale and its nearby regions including The Gallics are still suffering from the aftermath of a major foundation being destroyed. Grimm activity has increased a lot recently and even towns and cities like Acadia is at full alert right now. I also still suffer from occasional nightmares of the Fall and I doubt that I will forget about that night anytime soon, but being surrounded by a loving family who's always there to help you out is enough to convince me that I will get through this.

I was missing Beacon, so I kept in touch with my friends' academy. Since The Gallics were reliant on Vale's CCTS which were currently undergoing a lengthy process of repair, the only way for me to make long-distance communication was writing letters and sending them via mail. I sent a message to my friends in their known addresses, telling them that I was alright and asking them how they were doing.

Some of them were able to reply to me with some letters arriving a few days and a couple of them even arrived weeks earlier than the others.

Ruby wrote that she's been in a coma and just woke up recently, but otherwise she is fine and that her family was currently celebrating The Holidays. Yang, however, hasn't been the same since she lost her arm, Ruby told me that she became too moody that they didn't talk much ever since. She was also sorry that she couldn't save Pyrrha that night and said that she'll try to make up for it. I had to write another letter for her telling her not to blame herself and that I felt guilty over her death too. We all lost a friend that night, and we could only hope that it would never happen again.

Meanwhile, Neptune wrote that he and his team are still in Vale as part of Haven's relief aid, however, he also wrote that Sun has gone detective once more and is in a search for Blake, who went missing again. I could only wish them the best because I doubt that I'll be able to help them this time around.

Weiss wrote her letters with her distinctly elegant handwriting, which was expected from her. She was doing fine in Atlas for the most part in spite of all the chaos over the Fall of Beacon. She said that she's glad to hear from me again after two months and hoped that we could all reunite one day for old time's sake and maybe get back where we left off.

I also wrote a letter to Pyrrha's family after learning of her hometown's mailing address on her scroll. I offered them my deepest and most sincere condolences and reassured them that the memory of Pyrrha will be honored for years to come, not just as a popular icon, but as a friend and a fellow Huntsman as well. I also decided to send them Pyrrha's scroll and the stuffed rabbit she won at the fair. They deserved to see her last message so they could know how much she loved her family. I had its entire gallery saved up in a brand new scroll so I could always come back to them myself.

Sadly, I still haven't heard of Ren and Nora, let alone do I know where they were. I wasn't able to send them a letter since they lacked a fixed address. So the only thing I could do at the moment was to pray that they were okay.

Sooner or later, I'll go back to fighting for the security of Remnant whether I wanted to or not. I've seen too much of what's going on and learned too much about The Secret War that there is no way to escape it. So I'll enjoy celebrating The Winter Holidays while I still can here at home.

Because this could be the last time I'll ever experience peacetime.

=o=

1. Ozpin can only possess auraless individuals since he was unable to take control of souls that are being manifested, which is why the people he possesses tend to be civilians who are either young or simply inexperienced in combat.

---

The holidays this year were one of the most pleasant ones I had in a while especially with the whole family together. Pleasant enough that it's almost easy to forget the post-Fall crisis is still ongoing and that I had unfinished work to worry about.

Almost the whole Arc-D'Rémy clan came over the manor to celebrate. Bleu brought her wife and son to spend the holiday with us along with our maternal grandparents. And of course, it also wouldn't be complete without Uncle Jørgen. We were happy to have him around so that we didn't mind him getting drunk by drinking up half of our eggnogs. He was always a cool person to be around with, even though he is always infamous for his alcoholic breath that my parents kept telling me not to smell him when I was a child.

The only thing that I felt was missing was snow, not surprising as it doesn't snow in Pucelle. I rarely had a white X-mas myself, the only time I had that experience was when we took a vacation on Atlas a few years ago and the place was more vibrant during that time of the year in contrast to the desaturated urban look that it's sometimes infamous for.

I got a few great gifts this year. Mom gave me a new and improved Désir Ardent. I got a black winter coat with a gray fur hood from my dad, which was really nice. Rouge gifted me an empty serial box of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes with Pyrrha in it; if it were any other day, this would have been a cruel joke, but she gave this to remind me of good times and it's actually quite thoughtful of her.

The last gift had a tag that said it came from the Nikos family, which got me very curious. When I opened it, it was a box containing a scarlet cloth along a circular bronze plate displaying Pyrrha's emblem and a piece of written paper on top of it. I read the note and it says that they were thankful for being a good partner to Pyrrha and for giving her the type of happiness she always wished for. She would rest peacefully knowing that I was a part of her life and that I'll still be around to help others in need of someone like me.

They wanted me to have their gift as another memorabilia for her and as a token of their gratitude. I took the cloth and realized that it resembled Pyrrha's sash, another thing to remember her by.

All I can say was that it has been a life-changing year. I made so many memories both good and bad that I couldn't imagine what life must be like when I never got into Beacon anymore. I may still have my regrets but overall, I couldn't help but be happy for this year that I don't think I could ever take it all away.

The only thing left for me to do was to make sure that none of this ended in vain.

A few days have passed after the Winter Celebration, it was the twenty-ninth of December, three days before this year officially meets its conclusion. It would have been another uneventful evening until Mom suddenly called me from the manor's entrance for something important.

I went downstairs and once I saw what was waiting for me at the entrance, I was beyond astonished.

It was Ren, Nora, and Ruby being accompanied by the latter's uncle–Qrow. I finally saw their faces after two months, and their expressions told me that they missed me as much as I missed them.

After staring at each other for a while, Nora abruptly darted herself toward me and gave me a hug. She was dropping tears of joy as she hugged me tightly. I felt myself at ease, returning the embrace before looking at the heartwarming smiles of the others save for Qrow.

I let go of Nora as I greeted my friends, "Good to see you guys again."

"It's good to see you too, Jaune," Ruby replied. She almost dropped a tear with the silver-eyes of hers.

I looked at my teammates, recalling that our last interaction with each other was less than ideal. I knew I acted very irrational that moment so it's about time I gave them an overdue apology. "Ren, Nora. I'm sorry I yelled at you back at the hospital."

"Don't worry about it," Ren said. "What matters is that we are together again." His smile disappeared for a brief moment. "Something Pyrrha would have been happy for that."

I frowned upon hearing her name again, but I was very glad to be with my team again–what remains of it at least.

"You'll always be our Fearless Leader no matter what happens," Nora said.

I always found her vivacity to be heartening. and I was glad to see her happy again. "Thank you, Nora."

My attention then shifted to Qrow, who just stood there with a more-or-less neutral expression that tells me that we should get on with business. "Come on in," I said, letting them enter the house before Mom and I led them to the living room.

They sat around the furnace that heated them from the cold winter; it was still cold at Pucelle during the winter even without any snow. My friends made themselves comfortable after the trip they've gone through while Qrow continued to stand.

"Is there anything you need?" Mom asked.

"A beer would be nice," Qrow said. "Anyway, where's your husband?"

At that moment, we heard the back door close as Dad stepped in, wearing his signature outfit complete with the famous hat. "Someone called me?" He saw the guests in the living room and was unsurprised to see his old colleague. "I knew you'd come."

He entered the room while being followed by Uncle Jørgen, the bearded, dwarf-like alcoholic aide my family know and love.

Uncle Jørgen was wearing his old military uniform which consisted of a dark blue beret with the emblem of Atlas, a white coat with black buttons, black pants, boots and gloves. He was staring at his Xmas-Edition pornmag which he quickly hid when he saw my friends and especially Ruby, who was the youngest among us. He looked up to a taller Qrow and gave him a smirk. "You're a sight for sore-eyes, professor." He said with his distinct Nordic accent.

"You ought to stop calling me that, shorty," Qrow smirked back as he returned the banter.

Dad nodded at Mom without a single word, prompting her and any other family member to go upstairs and gave us some privacy, knowing how sensitive everything about this was.

Uncle Jørgen poured Dad and I a cup of tanna while everyone else settled with hot cocoa, or in Qrow's case a glass of beer. "You know why we're here, Cai, we're not just here to give these kids a reunion. The Queen is making moves right now so we have to act as soon as possible."

At that moment I already knew it was finally time. This was the day I have been trying to prepare for, and no matter how confident or assured I tried to be, my anxieties just wouldn't go away. I may have fought terrorists, psychopaths, and super-Grimm but this was far too unpredictable with centuries in the making that it was impossible not to be nervous.

"What do we do now then?" Dad asked.

"First, we have some explaining to do to your son. It's a long story, but we'll start with Ruby." Qrow then looked at his niece, nodding at her to speak.

Ruby took a moment to breathe before she spoke. "Jaune, I… I–I have–"

"Silver-Eyes," I interjected, knowing what she was about to bring up. She stared at me surprised before elaborating. "You're a silver-eyed warrior. Dad already told me everything."

Qrow and the others stared at me for a bit before looking at Dad who then explained. "It would have got to him one way or the other."

"Well, that saves us the lecture."

"I take it that these kids also know what's going on?" Dad inquired.

"Most of it. Some of the important ones at least. They're not ready to know the rest of it yet."

"I see." Dad put down his cup. "Anyway, what's Chaos planning to do right now?"

"James' intel said they're going after Haven and Atlas. They know that the crown is in either of the academies and there's no doubt that they intend to take the other relics while they're at it. We need to split up and help out the academies before they get to them." Qrow explained.

"Well, there goes my plan to celebrate the new year with the family. I guess I'm going to Atlas with Jørgen then. Even if I'm no longer a commissar, I still have my connections and I'm still highly regarded there."

"Good call, boss." Uncle Jørgen remarked.

"Does that mean I'll go to Haven with Ruby and my team?" I presumed, it was the one that made sense to me since I just reunited with my friends and that Dad didn't need my help.

Qrow took a sip from his glass. "I hate to break it to you, kid, but you're going to Atlas with your old man."

My friends and I paused in shock, confused by this decision. "Why though?"

"James is looking for you right now. He wants to meet you as soon as possible," He answered, it was so vague that I don't think it made it any less puzzling. I already told Dad about the information Ironwood needed a few weeks prior to this. What does he need from me now?

"It's not what I think it is, is it?" Dad raised a brow, sounding somewhat worried. The implication that he knows exactly what he is talking about made me a little uneasy.

"We'll never know until we get there." Qrow shrugged before looking at me again. "Look, I'm not a huge fan of Jimmy and his fancy army of cronies especially after the disaster with his stupid robots, and I know you just got back with your team and want to make up with them, but that will have to wait. Whatever plan Jimmy has for you is probably important. If he knows what he's doing this time, then maybe, just maybe—we could turn this thing around."

He finished his bottle of beer before continuing. "Atlas is in deep shit right now. They need an Arc. And they could use another one just in case. Just hear James out for once, and then you could do whatever you want. If you don't like what he'll say, then you can flip him off for all I care."

I figured that there's no point in arguing with this, I was just disappointed that I had to be seperated with my friends again. At least I finally got to see them again and maybe that's good enough. Dad being at my side is enough to assure me that I will be alright.

"We'll be alright," Ren reassured. "We're familiar with Anima and we remember everything you've taught us."

"Besides, we have Ruby with us. We're not going down that easily. We'll never will," Nora buoyantly added with Ruby smiling as well. Couldn't help but be glad that they're getting along after seeing argue over Penny being a robot. They must have come a long way when they were traveling together so at least I know I can trust them together.

"This is what being Huntsmen is all about. We know it's dangerous and we know that we could die fighting, but we're doing it because of the people we care about. We are going to fight on, for Pyrrha and for Beacon." Ruby asserted, looking at me with inspiration in her eyes. "And I'm sure you will too."

Her determination was quite uplifting. I was always grateful to have her as a friend from the beginning, I'm very glad to see how far she went ever since I saw her lying on the campus floor (I still don't remember any craters being there). "Thank you, Ruby. You always were a great leader, Ruby. I'm proud of you."

She smiled at me brightly. She was really born to be a leader and a Huntress and it shows. I have the utmost confidence that she'll do well in Mistral.

"So when are we leaving?" Dad asked.

"You should get to Atlas as soon as possible. In the meantime, we'll stay here and wait for the next ship to Mistral to arrive." Qrow answered.

"Sounds like a plan." Dad stood up. "I'll go pack my bags and prepare my stuff; we better not keep James waiting. Jørgen, call Sterling and tell him to fetch the Bullhead and buy these folks some tickets to Mistral."

"Got it, boss." Uncle Jørgen nodded, pulling out his scroll as he stepped outside.

"Your trip to Mistral is on the house." Dad nodded at Qrow.

"Appreciate it, Cai. Be sure to say hi to Winter for me if you meet her there."

"The Schnee? I'll keep it in mind."

Schnee, huh? If I remember correctly, then that's Weiss' older sister who butt heads with Qrow back in Beacon when I had to save this journal from Ruby's evil corgi. I should try talking to her and see if I'll be able to meet Weiss again. She could probably use a friendly face from the academy by now.

"You kids might want to make up now while you still can. They'll be leaving shortly." Qrow told us as Dad left went to inform Mom about the fact that we were leaving for Atlas and that the guests would be staying for a short while. "...And I'm going dooze off for a bit…"

Qrow fell asleep on the couch, likely because he passed out from all the alcohol he consumed. My friends and I were left alone in the room so we decided to have a chat about the time we have left with each other.

"So, how's the holiday?" Ruby asked.

"Pretty great so far," I answered, it was a happy time for me, something I really needed before going back to risk my neck to be a Huntsman again.

"Got any gifts?" Nora gave a curious look.

"Well, my shield is back...and I got this new coat."

"Ooh, a coat! You're gonna look like your dad." She bounced.

"That's what I think," I said, thinking how appropriate it was for Dad to give me this coat before going to Atlas. When I thought about it deeper I began to suspect that he knew I would eventually be sent to Atlas and gave me this coat to be prepared.

"What else did you get?" Nora asked again.

When I thought about the next gift I got, I almost frowned. "I don't know how to put this. Pyrrha's family gave me a sash, the kind that she wears."

They all looked at me sympathetically as they thought about our fallen friend as well. "Jaune…" Ruby's voice trailed in remorse.

"It's okay," I tried to bring back my smile, trying to remain positive for a change. "I at least know that she died being happy for me and I'm not going to take that away."

Ruby looked at me with a proud expression before going ahead to change the subject. "So… Atlas huh?"

"Not my first time going there and yet I still feel nervous," I said. Qrow mentioned that the kingdom was having trouble after the Fall of Beacon. The fact that their robots got hacked didn't help matters.

"You'll get through this," Ren affirmed. "Pyrrha had faith in you. You have already proven yourself to be a capable Huntsman and I know you're not going to let Chaos get away with everything they've done."

"It just sucks that we won't be able to go with you." Nora lamented.

"Yeah, but I'm sure we'll see each other again soon enough and that we'll be a team again," I said reassuringly.

That brightened her up for a moment but she continued to frown. "And I wish Pyrrha was here."

"Me too," I muttered.

"At least, you guys get to be together. Even if someone is missing." Ruby's eyes casted down.

I genuinely felt sorry for her. If there was any consolation, at least she never lost a teammate even if they currently are broken and separated, and I really envy her for that. While Team JNPR would never be whole except in spirit, there was still a chance for Team RWBY to come together again someday. "You'll see your team again, Ruby. I know it."

With that, Ruby got her smile back. Knowing Ren and Nora, I'm sure they'll be able to keep Ruby's team spirit occupied. I'm not entirely sure how they are going to reunite though. Weiss is in Atlas and I plan to pay her a visit if I get the chance, so it's certain that she'll be with her partner again. Blake's somewhere out there and I hope Sun doesn't screw up with this again. Maybe she'll come to her senses and go back to help us, who knows. Yang one the other hand is a tricky one, I don't know if she's ever going to be able to become a Huntress again but something tells me that even a missing arm isn't going to stop her. She's a tough chick so I'm sure she'll get back up one way or another.

My friends and I spent a couple more hours enjoying each other's company, engaging in small talk, sharing stories, talking about our plans after everything has been said and done, all that kind of stuff. Just like when we were in Beacon if only the rest of the gang was here…

My sisters eventually joined in, Rouge even gave Ren a high five after seeing each other again, much to the chagrin of a somewhat clingy Nora. Rouge and Rose bonded with Ruby about grunge music and guns respectively while they told her how we fought the Triads that other day; Verte exchanged stories with Ren and Nora about nature in Anima.

Viola mentioned to them that they could use some new clothes after noticing that they've been wearing the same outfits for the whole year and told them that she can help with that. The only one who wasn't here was Bleu; who went back home with her wife and son; and Blanche and Noire, who are in Vale to help with the relief effort.

Of course, my friends kept quiet about the whole mission. Thankfully, my sisters seemed to be respectful with the secrecy. Probably because they already used being in the dark when it comes to Dad's work with The Order.

At five o'clock, Dad and Uncle Jørgen came back, it was time for me to leave.

I went to prepare my backpack and got dressed. I wore my new black winter coat beneath my new armor, which was identical to the first one. I wore dark navy blue pants before tying Pyrrha's sash to my waist and putting on some brown boots, and I put my pistol to my belt's holster along with The Crocea Mors. And last but not the least, I also took the dagger that Dad gave me when I was younger, the same dagger I used for my first kill. Knowing that I was about to go on a mission that is something like I have never been before, it was a good time for an old friend to come back, one that has been with me since the beginning even before the Crocea Mors.

Looking at the mirror, I actually look more like a Huntsman now rather than a civilian with a few extra layers of protection. I took one last puff before leaving with my backpack.

My friends, family, and I headed to the vacant space near the manor where a lone Bullhead was parked, with the pilot–Sterling–waiting for us. Sterling used to work with Dad and Uncle Jørgen's squad during their military days. He is now a freelance pilot after retiring from the military who would occasionally give my family a ride in his transport. He kinda hated me for throwing up in his Bullhead for several times that he started giving me plastic bags every time I rode his Bullhead.

This is it, I thought to myself before turning to everyone to give my last farewells for now before I finally depart. "I guess this is the part where I say goodbye."

"I hate goodbyes," Nora wept while she earnestly tried to be happy for me. "Think of this as more of a 'see you later' type of thing."

"We'll meet again," Ren promised, giving Nora a handkerchief to wipe her tears with. "Good luck in Atlas."

I gave him the most reciprocating nod I could ever give to a friend. "You too, Ren." I turned to Ruby and put a hand on her shoulder. "Take care of my teammates for me."

"I will," she answered as wholeheartedly as she could.

I stepped in to give her a warm embrace before hugging both Ren and Nora. We made the most of it since this is the last time we will have each other in a while. I didn't want to let go and neither did they. At least we parted after finally seeing each other again and being able to spend time with one another as companions, and that is what mattered.

"Please take care. I don't want to lose another friend," Ruby said as a few tears dropped from eyes.

Sad thing is I cannot promise that but I will do my best to stay alive, not just for me, but for them as well. Like I always did. I'll do my best to make sure that this won't be the last time we meet. "I will."

"Kick some ass for us, baby brother," Rose smirked as she tried boosting my confidence.

"Good luck, and try not to ruin that coat," advised Viola.

I chuckled at her remark. I try not to, I actually like wearing it. It's more comfortable than a hoodie, that's for sure.

Mom took her turn to give me her encouragement. "You'll get through this. You're more capable than you think you are. If your father can believe in you, then you can believe in yourself. Just don't forget to stay smart like you always do. Alright, sweetie?"

She had to call me that in front of everyone, does she? Not that it mattered since I was too much of a good ol' spoiled country boy to even be bothered by it. "Sure thing, Mom."

"That's my boy." She then shifted her gaze to Dad. "Try not to push yourself harder this time, Cai," she said before pecking his cheek.

"I'll try not to, hun," Dad simpered.

"He'll always be safe with me, madame." Uncle Jørgen said. Mom cheerfully hummed as she patted his head, expressing her gratitude to Dad's most loyal lifelong companion aside from her.

Dad turned to me and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

I nodded without another word. We promptly grabbed our bags, unloading them to the Bullhead before all the three of us boarded ourselves in. I looked at everyone waving at me as they gave me their farewells. I couldn't help but smile at them as I waved them back, trying to fight back tears.

After the Bullhead's passenger door slid shut, I continued to look at them through the window even as the transport slowly ascended to the air. Later, only the fading view of Arcshire was left. It was just like the moment I was leaving home for Beacon, only this time I was heading north.

My friends and family will always be in my heart. They're one of the reasons why I was even motivated to put up with this conflict, aside from the fact that I no longer had a choice ever since I got involved in Ozpin's games so I couldn't sit this one out even if I wanted to.

Did I still have my doubts? Absolutely. I don't know if I could call myself brave nor do I know if I should be doing this. I don't know what the universe has in store for me and that's what scares me the most. Regardless, there was no turning back from this so I might as well keep moving forward. I'd be damned to stop now especially for those I have grown to care about. Sometimes you just have to roll with whatever life throws at you and suck it up and hope for the best.

Ever since that robbery in Podunk, I have been trying to escape from harm's way only to survive and prosper thanks to my rotten luck that both helped and hindered me for this past year, and I'm certainly going to need that type of luck for this journey. Beacon was only the beginning for me, but thankfully I have learned a lot to be prepared for this kind of undertaking.

I don't think I'll truly be at peace again until this is all over, and it's a long road ahead. I just hope I could live long enough to see it all end well.

Here's to saving the world I guess.

"And a coward who acts in the face of danger is more courageous than a professed brave man. For he who conquers his fears will guide those who are threatened by the darkness that seeks to destroy all life, and he shall prevail."

-The Book of Light, verse 277

---

Afterword:

And thus concludes the first volume of the Jaune Archive. His chronicle as a student of Beacon is merely a protracted prologue to a much larger story where his more defining feats as The Hero of Remnant would be explored. This volume serves as an introduction to Jaune's unique perspective of being a hero in addition to the relationships he made as he progressed through the year while his reputation grew as Beacon's star student that led to his exposure to the world as a renowned figure.

Even as a self-preserving rogue, seeking to escape the rigorous responsibilities of a Huntsman, he has shown to possess remarkable courage, having proved to be a competent leader as well a skilled combatant as he matures and grow sincere bonds with his comrades over the course of his first year as a hero. While his own writings confess that he may be far from the infallible paragon everyone believed him to be, we must remember that Jaune is a mere mortal just like the rest of us. We rarely hear about the shortcomings of celebrated figures throughout history, and learning more about Jaune's flaws and ulterior motives only made him more human than most other heroes who are idolized to the point that the common man could no longer identify with them. For all his shortcomings, Jaune is indeed an example of what Huntsmen should strive to become and none of his flaws should undermine that.

As mentioned earlier, we have only scratched the surface of his long, intriguing career. We have yet to witness the best of Jaune's exploits and how he is able to further prove that he is worthy of his reputation in his continued growth as a huntsman and as a hero, so stay tuned for the next volume. I hope that these accounts were able to enlighten you on a hero's beginning. Because sometimes, the world could use more individuals like Jaune Arc, even if they turn out to be a self-seeking scoundrel, but then again who isn't?

-Weiss Schnee

In the loving memory of Pyrrha Nikos and all others who have lost their lives during the Fall of Beacon.

---

And there you have it, folks. Again I apologize if this ending feels like it's overdue but this was one important chapter that I spent so much time thinking about that I didn't want to rush it and I also had to work for the bills while corona is still at large. I also apologize if the chapter feels exposition-dumpy at times, I just want to clear a few things before I wrap this up and move on to the next story.

The ending should make it clear that this is the point where I am not longer following the canon storyline, so don't expect an adaptation of V4 and onwards. I will still take some inspiration from them, such as characters and some elements, but the story would remain different from what happened in the show.

Oh, and in case if you haven't noticed. Roman didn't die from the Battle of Beacon. You can thank Jaune for that since he told Nora to break his legs and now there is an unfed Griffon out there somewhere. Sure, his legs are broken but expect to see him again since he has some unfinished business to settle.

In regards to the previous chapter, I was not surprised to see people upset that Pyrrha still ended up getting killed by Cinder, it's one of the things that I was expecting ever since I decided that I didn't feel like saving her from her canon fate when I was thinking of how this story would end. I understand why people are upset by this, but I do want everyone to know that I made this decision for a few reasons:

1. I wanted to show that not everything will go well for Jaune and he can't save everyone and Pyrrha would have been dead regardless of how talented he is against a more determined sociopath who finally got half the power she wanted. Please remember that while Jaune is more 'combat-ready', he is still a Huntsman-in-training whose early in his career and still has a lot to learn.

2. I think that Jaune-centric canon-divergence fics where Pyrrha gets saved during the Battle of Beacon have been done to death and that fics detailing the aftermath in Jaune point of view is criminally scarce.

3. I intended to keep some canon plot-points from V1-V3 intact since I admittedly treated this volume as a glorified prologue for the story I want to tell in the sequel.

4. I personally dislike "fix-fics", particularly ones which 'everyone lives.' I only get the impression that they only exist based on the author's biased preferences because they couldn't handle their favorite characters dying or their favorite ships sinking that they turn everyone into invincible Mary Sues where everything conveniently goes well for them, leaving no stakes and little drama rather than being more objective of what could have been. A good number of Jaune and Arkos fanfics are sadly guilty of this. I understand why a lot of you didn't like what RT did to Pyrrha in canon, but this cliché (as in fix-fics in general) was becoming so tiring for me that I pretty much decided that Pyrrha would still die during the Battle of Beacon since I first started writing this, even if I don't disagree with the notion that her death in the show was shoddily-executed and was only done because it's what Monty intended with her character.

I admit, I wish I could have done more with Pyrrha's death, I even tried my best to make her sacrifice to be less meaningless and have Jaune be more involved with it, but there are just some people you just can't please unless the story is done in a certain way that you're not writing it anymore. It's one of the things you have to deal with as a writer. I won't be able to satisfy everyone, and you know what? That's okay. I do not regret taking this risk at all.

Now with that out of way, let me express my gratification of finally finishing this thing. Jaune has always been my favorite character and his flaws is one of the things that made him compelling. One of the reasons why I wrote this was because I felt like there need to be more fics where he is more competent but is otherwise a grounded character compared to other Huntsmen and I mostly used the Ciaphas Cain inspiration as a vehicle for that idea. It's always fun seeing normal human beings Cain their way through a wacky world filled with supernatural wonders that hates normal humans and yet still come out on top, and I wanted to see more stories like that which is pretty much why this Jaune isn't going to get an OP semblance any time soon.

I also would like to mention that I partially based Jaune's self-loathing and his belief that his friends deserve his attention more than himself on the fact that in the show, he is an audience surrogate character where a good portion of the fandom dislikes him and thinks that the show should focus more on other characters (particularly Team RWBY), whereas the hype surrounding him is mostly based on his fanbase who often glorify him far more than he does himself. This fic basically explores how those two differing opinions clash together and asks the question if people are giving him too much credit or if he's not giving himself enough credit at all.

Writing this has been a fun experience and I've learned a lot over this past couple of years. Of course, there is still plenty of room for improvement, even to this day I still go back to the older chapters to fix errors and add and revise dialogues and paragraphs if necessary. Hopefully, I'll be able to apply everything I learned for the next story, especially when it comes to making less-bloated chapters and give my stories a more focused pacing. I'm honestly becoming tired of my own idea of chapters consisting of entire story-arcs, it's one of the reasons why it takes so long for a new chapter to come out. It was an experiment to see I can fit everything into 15 chapters (with 5 chapters per the show's volume each), the first three chapters weren't so bad, but it got out of hand since the fourth and it only got worse from there on and I started to regret it. Oh well, what's done is done, but if I were to republish this fic, I might split the story arcs into smaller chapters to make a more conventional format. Since the sequel to this will no longer have to rely on the show's storyline, chapters should be shorter and more focused that they wouldn't have to be as long as an entire novella.

Don't worry much about Jaune's character development and the serious tone of this chapter undermining The Ciaphas Cain inspiration, he still has plenty of Cain-like shenanigans waiting for him in the sequel, after all this series is intended to be a black comedy with some instances of serious drama here in there—a dramedy if you will. I'll be taking my time with the next volume because I want to make sure everything is planned out first before I start to work on it. Maybe I should update the Extras, it's been a while since it was updated. Besides, I wanted to flesh out more about Caiaphas, Jørgen, and Amberlynn's characters and show them their stories which would be a more direct reminiscent of the Ciaphas Cain short stories since they are based on the central characters of the series.

Well, that finally wraps up this story. Thank you for taking the time to read this whether you have enjoyed it or not, it means a lot to me. I appreciate the reviews you guys left for me, even if it's just a quick and simple compliment or even a complaint. Like always, feedback of any kind is welcome so let me know what you think. Flame it if you want to, I don't really mind. And if you haven't yet, I also recommend you read the Ciaphas Cain novels even if you're not familiar with the Warhammer 40k Universe, it's a very fun read that shows you the brighter and more human side of an infamously grimdark universe. Bruva Alfabusa of If The Emperor Has A Text-to-Speech Device fame even made a video on him, so please check out.

Volume 2 will be coming soon. Best of luck to all of you and may you all have a safe and wonderful day.